James Milton Reeves
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James Milton Reeves
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James Milton Reeves was a farmer who spent most of his life in Crawford County, Georgia, near Roberta. He was born in Jasper County, Georgia on June 15, 1824, the son of William and Milly Cleveland Reeves. His parents later moved to Fayette County, Georgia. James married there, and later moved his family to Upson County, Georgia, and then to Crawford County.
James married twice and had a total of 18 children, 16 by his first wife Lousia Bates Reeves, and two by his second wife Julia Perkins Reeves. Seven children by his first wife died before reaching maturity.
James is said to have been a Methodist preacher, but no documentation of this has been found.
James enlisted in the Fayette County Horse Cavalry known as the "Georgia
Generals" at age 24 while still living in Fayette County. He later
enlisted in the Georgia State Guards during the War Between the States for
a period of 6 months, serving in Company A, 8th Battalion Cavalry.
James Milton Reeves was known as "Milt," and owned a total of 940 acres at
the time of his death. In the 1860 slave census he was listed as ownig seven
slaves. He is buried on the land he owned near Roberta, in the Reeves family
cemetery near the family home site. Directions
to this cemetery are given below.
If any descendants of James Milton Reeves visit this site, I invite them
to correspond with me at
reeves1@bellsouth.net, and I will
share with them any further details about his life and progeny that is available.
I would also be grateful for any additional information that can be offerred
about him.
ADDITIONAL KNOWN FACTS:
The following extract was located in a pamphlet entitled "Estate Records
of Crawford County, Vol III:"
(start quote)
REEVES, JAMES M. (dec.)
Page 238, 14 Oct 1897: A. J. JOHNSON, WALTER WHITE, F.A. ADAMS and JOHN W.
HAMMOCK as appraisers returned an inventory and appraisement of the property
produced to them by J. N. SMITH as Administrator. Land included: 101-1/4
acres in Lot No. 224 valued at $506.25; Lot No. 188 valued at $1,012.50;
404 acres in Lots No. 229, 266, and 267 valued at $2,020; 101-1/4 acres in
Lot No. 224 valued at $506.25; and 131 acres (deed misplaced) valued at $655.
They also returned rent not delivered to appraisers but in hands of renters;
WAYNE REEVES 1/4 of corn and 1/5 cotton not gathered; GURLEY REEVES 1/4 corn
and 1/5 cotton not yet gathered; GASPARD REEVES due 1/4 corn on 4 acres;
GENE REEVES due 1/4 corn and 1/5 cotton; JAMES M. REEVES, JR., 1/4 of corn
and 1/5 cotton; and JAMES M. REEVES crops not gathered; They also returned
notes and accounts on the following:
BLASINGAME, J.S. CHILDRE, J.J.
REEVES. G.G. REEVES. E.W.
COCHRAN, THOMAS COCHRAN, JOHN
WALKER, W.J. AUTRY, J.H.
REEVES, G.G. & MITTIE REEVES, JOHN R.
REEVES, JAMES M., JR. PERKINS, E.C.
(end quote)
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The following is an extract from Miscellaneous Estate Records of Crawford
County, GA, Vol III:
(start quote)
REEVES, J. M. (dec.)
Page 95, 3 Jan 1898: Mrs. M.J. REEVES appointed Guardian of orphans JOE and
HERSHAL REEVES. Security: E.C. PERKINS, E.W. REEVES, AND G.E. REEVES. Bond:
$1,628.
Note: Mrs. M.J. Reeves was James M. Reeves' second wife, and Joe and Hershal
are believed to have been the only minor children remaining at that point,
necessitating that someone be appointed their legal guardian.
The following is a listing of those buried in the Reeves Cemetery, about
100 yards from the old home place of James Milton Reeves.
REEVES CEMETERY
Crawford County, Georgia Coordinates: 324156.1N - 0841056.3W
Contributed by: Tina Clark Hortman, Route 1, Box 905, Roberta, Ga. 31078
Directions: From Roberta, Georgia go west on US 80 for about 10 miles, turn
left (south) on Olive Grove Church Road (paved). There is a store at that
intersection named "Racers," a gas & convenience store (Note: Store ownership
and name may have changed since this was written). Proceed straight down
Olive Grove Church Rd. for 3.5 miles. At that point road will change from
paved to dirt. Proceed straight on dirt road, and you will cross a
bridge in another 0.4 mile. Continue straight for another 1.2 miles.
It looks like a dead-end at this point, but actually, the main road continues
to the left. Turn right onto the smaller dirt road, and almost immediately
you will see a cleared pulloff area on the right, and a sign saying "REEVES
FAMILY CEMETERY." Just beyond the sign are two iron pipe gates across logging
roads. Park car in cleared space and proceed past the gate on the left, going
up the hill on the graveled logging road. At the top of the hill, you will
see the Reeves Family Cemetery. There is a chain link fence surrounding the
cemetery. The cemetery is maintained by descendants of James Milton Reeves
who live in Georgia.
GRAVE MARKERS
Inez Reeves, Daughter of J.J. Reeves (burned to death)
Laurenza Reeves, Son of J. M. Reeves
Garforde Eugene Reeves, 11 Jul 1860 - 10 Dec 1904,
Consort of Laura Reeves
Mittie (Milly) Reeves, Daughter of J. M. Reeves, B: 1864, D: July 1880
John T. Reeves, Son of J. M. Reeves (He had a twin brother)
Fred Reeves, Son of W. M. Reeves
Maude Reeves, Daughter of W. M. Reeves
INFANT, b 18 Oct 1880, daughter of Robt. Wm. Reeves
Cora Bell. Reeves, b 29 Jan 1894, d 13 Mar 1894 (daughter of Ethan Wayne
Reeves)
Mrs. James M. (Louisa) Reeves, b 13 Jan 1829, D: 1876 (First wife of James
M. Reeves)
(NOTE: James Milton Reeves' second wife, Mary Julia Perkins Reeves, died
at the age of 78 in 1923, while living with J.J. Reeves, one of her sons,
in Monroe County, GA. She is probably buried somewhere in Monroe County,
exact location unknown. She was a member of the Missionary Baptist Church)
James Milton Reeves, b 15 June 1824, d 12 Jul
1897, Co. B, 8 BN, GA CAV - CSA
James Thomas Reeves (Jim Tom), b 13 Dec 1883, d 10 Feb 1908 (son of Ethan
Wayne Reeves)
INFANT, of J.T. and Alma Majors (Alma was daughter of G.G. Reeves)
INFANT Son of Jim Autry and Martha Reeves Autrey
Duroc Reeves, Son of G. G. Reeves (no dates)
REEVES
Ethan Wayne Donnie Agnes Mallory
18 Oct 1857 20 Apr 1862
12 Jul 1924 9 Mar 1930
These are marble slabs side by side
INFANT of Franklin Harris, B: June 12, 1839, D: June 13, 1839 . These dates
may be in error, as James M. Reeves did not live at this location this early.
James M. Reeves was only 15 years old in 1839. A female descendant of James
Milton Reeves named Charlie Grace Reeves married a Franklin Harris in the
late 1800's, and this infant is probably one of their children who died shortly
after birth.
Mr. Kermit spence
Aug 5, 1921- Apr 5, 1985
Memorial Chapel
This man died at the Roberta Nursing Home. Having been left at the nursing
home by unknown persons, and having no known relatives at the time of his
death, he was cremated and a burial site was donated in the Reeves cemetery.
His ashes were put in a tube or pipe and buried there by descendants of the
Reeves family named Gaultney. This was told to me by Gary Gaultney, one of
the descendants of James Milton Reeves, during my visit to the cemetery (Paul
Reeves). Subsequent to that visit, it was learned that Kermit Spence was
listed in the 1930 census as living in Savannah, Georgia, and was the
son of Charles E. Spence and Minnie Emalie Spence. Charles was born Jul 1,
1884 in NC. His father was John Spence, his mother Fannie Spence. Kermit
Spence had 5 siblings - Myrtle, Glennie, Elbert, Raymond, and Freddy. Their
status and whereabouts are unknown.
A chain link fence encloses the above graves, but there are said to be other
graves behind this cemetery, probably slave graves, according to Gary Gaultney.
Sadly, the headstones of the slave graves were said to have been removed
by hunters and used to build a firepit at some unknown time in the past,
and the slave graves are no longer visible.
Ethan Wayne Reeves, Jr., B: April 26, 1875, D: July 3, 1926 (his body has
been moved to the city cemetery in Thomaston, Ga.). He died of burns suffered
in an accident.
For more information about James Milton Reeves, as well as his ancestors
and descendants, you may go to my complete family file at
www. rootsweb.com. Click on "World Connect
Project." Enter Reeves in the surname block, and James Milton in the given
name block. The result will be listing of a number of links about James Milton
Reeves. Scroll to the one submitted by PaulReeves94 and click on it. You
will be taken to my family file, and you can read more details about James
Milton Reeves, plus scroll up or down in his ancestry and descendancy as
you wish.
This biography is a work in progress. If you have additions, questions or
corrections, or wish to offer addtional information, please e-mail me at:
reeves1@bellsouth.net.
Lineage of Paul Reeves, web page author:: James Milton Reeves > G.
G. Reeves > Rodolphus Wright Reeves > Paul Reeves
Return to Paul Reeves' home page at:
Paul Reeves
Genealogy - GA/NC
Return to Reeves Home Pages at: REEVES HOME PAGES
NAME & E-MAIL OF WEBPAGE OWNER:
Paul Reeves :
reeves1@bellsouth.net
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